The clock is still ticking
by Natalie M.R
Summary: Mr Baldie Hermit, Katniss's school principal gives her one last chance. There will be a hearing after summer break is over. She is going to spend her summer in Avala, a place filled with camps. If she doesn't fulfill her end of the bargain, she'll be kicked out of school. But if she does, she may become the person she knew she could be. AU storyline.
1. Chapter one-Mr Baldie Hermit

**The clock is still ticking**_  
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**Chapter I : Mr Baldie Hermit's condition**

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_I am a cordial person. I have satisfying grades, commendable friends and I am worthy of respect._

_-the 12th of September, 2007._

I wrote this in my diary the summer I was twelve years old. According to my therapist, a good way to start your day is by thinking of your qualities more often. Before the accident, I was an ordinary girl. Well, extraordinarily ordinary. I was everything my parents could've hoped for. I was enrolled to a private school with a scholarship, even though we had the money to pay for it. This way, it had more value. That summer, my parents got a divorce. Then, I declined further into my misery.

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_Eight_. The exact number of eyes boring into the back of my skull. I took a wrong turn, and this time, I won't be coming back.

I rub the bald man's statue intensely when I hear the door close behind me, failing to relieve my stress. First person to come into my view happens to be my school principal, Mr Baldie Hermit, smartly dressed in his pleated pants. A chubby, old man with an upper body three times wider than his lower. Bald, but still decides to neatly comb the last few roots of hair he has left on both sides of his oval head, including his fake sideburns. If he has wrinkles, they go unnoticed behind his chubby, rosy cheeks which make it difficult to understand the words that come out of his mouth. Or maybe it's because of his enormous goatee?

Aaah! I almost forgot his shiny, polished shoes that make you cover your eyes, every time he passes by. He held his late grandfather's pocket watch in his hand, his other scratching his beard. Just the sound of it ticking distracts me.

''Katniss Everdeen,'' he drags out my name with a serious tone. ''Mr Ivan Everdeen, your father, is a very important man to our school,'' he continues, but I cut him off.

''Actually, nowadays I prefer to go by the name Katniss Steele,'' I point out calmly, raising my legs onto his desk,''If you don't mind.'' Everdeen. Cutting the last connection I had with Ivan Everdeen. First thing on my list was not to see or talk to him. He covers that one fantastically by himself. Second, to get rid of the resemblance, I dyed my hair. I fit in perfectly with my family, a household filled with exactly two resembling blondes. Third, to cover up the 'Cursed' surname Everdeen, I now go by my mother's maiden name, Steele.

''Katniss!'' my mother shouts out in utter horror,''Stop fooling around and put your legs down!'' I scoff and lower my legs to the ground, crossing my arms over my chest. Eva, my mother. Her blue eyes and blonde hair she sadly keeps in a bun make her appear a true beauty. After years of hard work, she finally owns her own hospital. I might not say it often, but she deserves the best, and Primrose will definitely follow in her footsteps, unlike me.

''Yes, well...I'm sure you already know why I called you today to my office,'' Mr Hermit opens his mouth again. How could I possibly forget? The reason's right next to me, glaring at me. ,,You were caught vandalizing the school's property and stealing a statue, placed in front of the school. My statue to be exact. It's a good thing Preston was there to witness it. Now Katniss, I know this isn't only your doing. Who was with you that day?''

Preston Bradford, our student body president. Standing next to our vice principal, Cecilia Kendrick like the good boy he is. Having Mr Hermit as his fashion icon, he too is wearing pleated pants along with a dreadful cardigan his mother bought him for his birthday wrapped around his neck. He shoots me a smile, while his hands are busy pulling his big, round glasses up so they don't fall.

''It was just me, sir,'' I smirk, satisfied with myself. The truth is, I wasn't alone that night. I spend my days with a bad group of people I call my friends. That night, we got drunk and broke into the school.

''I admire your loyalty Miss Everdeen,'' he starts off and makes me cringe at the mention of my surname,''But loyalty won't get you anywhere.''

''Great life lesson you're teaching me Mr Hermit,'' I say as a joke, but only accomplish making my mother furious with me.

''I am really sorry for my daughter's behavior,'' my mother says in hope he'll understand and go easy on me.

''Katniss,'' he sighs,''This time there won't be any suspension. I see great potential in you, and as I said, your father donated a lot of money to help this school. In an agreement with you mother, I'm giving you one last chance.''

''What was the agreement?'' I spat.

''There will be a hearing when your summer break is over, seeing curricular activities don't set you straight. If I see change in you, I'll let you continue school after minor school duties you owe me,'' he says, while pulling his pocket watch out again and admiring it.

''What's the catch?'' I ask, curiously,''Why do you think things will be different after this summer?''

He looks up from his watch, and stares directly at my mother, as if waiting for her to answer my question. My eyes widen, and my knees tremble in anger. I already know the answer.

''Katniss you are going to spend your summer in Avala, where you father is,'' my mother says with a serious expression, anger visible in her voice.


	2. Chapter two-Sign me up

**THE CLOCK IS STILL TICKING**

Chapter II : Sign me up.

I squeeze my eyes shut and stop myself from making the same mistake again by opening them. I must have been some new kind of wasted last night, the pounding in my head is so severe that I'm holding my head in my hands, trying to make it stop. My brain refuses to remember what happened last night and what alcoholic beverages I consumed, but I might have a clear idea when I bear in mind the rainbow colours I vomited a couple of hours ago on my friend 'Mr Toilet.' And I thought my life sucks, he has the worst job ever.''I will never drink again,'' I mumble into my pillow and throw the covers over my head. I try to avert my attention off of puking my brains out. I slide out of my bed and start off my day with a cold shower. By the time I drag myself downstairs for a cup of coffee, it's already noon. Primrose pours me another cup of coffee, considering the last cup ended up on the floor, shred to pieces and the coffee spilled all over the floor. I take a sip of my coffee, completely missing my mouth and spilling it all over my shirt. I'm definitely not functioning well.

''Why are you dressed like that?'' I raise an eyebrow, while licking my dry, chapped lips. She is wearing my old dress I dreadfully despise, but she adores it and wears it only for special occasions.

''You forgot, didn't you?'' she accuses me, crossing her arms over her chest,''You have to drive me to the Center. Today's the last day we can sign up for camp.''

''First off, I didn't forget. I'm just not going,'' I take another sip of my coffee, my head still pounding,''Second, I don't have a car since our mother decided I'm not responsible enough to have one. And before you ask, I hate walking so don't bother begging me.''

''Katniss!'' she shrieks, causing me to cover my ears in pain,''Finally I'm old enough to go to camp, and you're throwing my chance of spending the summer with you away. I've heard them talking you know? Mum and dad, over the phone. If this doesn't work, they'll send you away Katniss. Do you really want that?''

''Prim, of course not,'' I pull her into an embrace and stroke her hair,'' I'm sorry.'' ''Just don't cry,'' I kiss her forehead, and brush a tear off of her cheek.

I munch on my croissant and finish what is left of my coffee. Primrose has finished her own plate, licking it clean and is now cleaning the dishes in the sink. I run upstairs to my room to change out of my clothes before I go out, since I spilled coffee all over my favorite t-shirt earlier. Then I go downstairs to my living room. I grab my phone, wallet and the keys to my house, the hardwood floor producing loud cracking noises as we walk out the door. I never liked taking long walks, especially if it is a warm, sunny afternoon like today. I own a black Nismo 350z I purchased last year for my birthday, so there was never a need to walk on my two feet. I was always proud of it, since I bought it with my own money, money I earned working various summer jobs.

The Center. I used to drop off Primrose to her gymnastics class, while I was in another room with my father. As a child, I was an exquisite athlete. I was taking martial arts, kick box, various daces including capoeira, gymnastics...but my greatest passion was archery. Having Ivan Everdeen as your father, this was no surprise. Owner of Portia Genus, a camp named after a spider, a sneaky jumping spider that prey on other spiders by plucking their webs in such a way that it mimics a trapped insect. Through skillful plucking, the victim is manipulated within striking distance. They're camouflaged to resemble pieces of leaf litter. They know exactly what variations of web signals to use to draw their prey in. A perfect description for Portia Genus, a camp I was once a contestant in. I still like to walk past that glass door, to look back and imagine myself holding my own bow. Thankfully, Primrose was too young to be manipulated by his hands. Besides, he was too preoccupied ruining my life.

Eventually, I push myself through the crowd while holding Prim's hand. A few of them stomp on my feet, leaving me furious. I drag Prim in front of the line, not caring who's behind me. A worn old woman looks up at me through her glasses, clearly astonished by my behavior.

''Primrose and Katniss Steele,'' I say with a sweet smile on my face, making Prim gape at me. The last thing I need is people knowing who my father is. She writes down our names on a piece of paper with her signature on it.

''Thank you,'' I grin when she hands the paper over to me and I pull Prim by her hand, away from the line.

''Well if it isn't Katniss Everdeen,'' an annoying, squeaky high pitched voice calls out. I could recognize it anywhere. Preston Bradford. I turn around, annoyed by his presence. There he was in his green jumper with the most ridiculous navy bow tie.

''Preston, how thrilled I am to see you here,'' I say sarcastically, pulling Prim by her arm in annoyance.

''I'm sure you are,'' he puts on a cheeky grin, making me vomit in my mouth,''Ready for our trip tomorrow, Katniss?'' My eyes widen in horror, while my arms reach out for his collar.

''Our?'' I shriek,''What do you mean our?''

''Now Katniss, this is a very expensive shirt so please don't ruin it. I ironed it all day,'' he pulls his glasses up with a smile,''You didn't really think you'll be going alone? Who on Earth could report back to Mr Hermit then? No, no Katniss. I'll be there to watch your every move and of course your 'progress.' ''

''You little - '' I stop in mid sentence when I see the security rushing over towards two young adults, fighting in front of the line.

''You better pray I don't see your face tomorrow,'' a deep, muscular voice threatens while yelling loudly.

I push Preston out of my way and move closer to get a better view. A frightened brown headed boy comes into my view. He is desperately trying to reason with his opponent, but fails miserably. My head snaps to the other boy, held by the arms of the security and another fellow I presume is his friend. The boy seems to be my age. Tall, incredibly muscular, frightening, apparently arrogant but extremely handsome. Usually the guys I go for. He flips his silky blond hair and for a second, my heart stopped when I thought his bloodthirsty, ice cold eyes gazed right into mine.

''Well, since I have more important stuff to attend to, unlike some people,'' Preston's annoying voice rings in my ears,''I'll be on my way.''

''Yeah, I'm sure having sex with your own hand is considered important these days,'' I shoot him a smirk, leaving him there dumbfounded as I walk out the exit door with a loud thud.

I was walking down the street when a small pet shop catches my eye. Inside, kids were running around the store. It was very noisy, I could barely hear myself think. Prim let go off my hand, wanting to look around for herself. I looked at each animal, mostly fish. I passed by the cat section, not wanting to give them a minute of attention. I just don't like them, especially Prim's scrunchy, old cat Buttercup. Thank god, the creature ended up at our grandparent's house for the summer. I end up looking at some turtles, when a little pug catches my attention at the corner of my eye. I walk down the hallway until I reach the little being. Easily recognizable by his prominent eyes that bulge from his face, short, black muzzles and small teeth. He was lying in the right corner with a sad expression in his eyes. I noticed no one was interested in him, but I felt a connection between us almost instantly.

''Miss Everdeen, I'm surprised to see you here.''

''Mr Hermit, fancy seeing you here,'' I turn around with a grin.

''Oh well, I just brought Tote for his daily checkup,'' he motions to his little chivava, a small smile lingering on his lips when he looks at him. It's almost touching.

''Funny, I heard the most bizarre thing today. Preston Bradford is escorting me to camp,'' I fake a puzzled expression,''You might know something about that?''

''Katniss, did I ever tell you I used to have trouble falling asleep?'' he starts,''Do you know how I got rid of my problem?'' ''My grandfather gave me this watch,'' he motions to his dear pocket watch,''Every night, I held it close to my ear, listening to it ticking.'' He looks up at me with a kind expression, and hands me his watch. ''Your clock is still ticking, Miss Everdeen. When it stops, you'll know. Summer will end, and you'll either come back as the person you once were or the person you could've been,'' he shoots me a small smile, while walking out the door with Tote.

I turn around and put my fingers through the bar. '' I think you and I will get along just fine,'' I smile at the little pug,''I'm going to name you Tilly.''

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**_A/N: That would be the end of chapter two. I appreciate all of your reviews, and I hope you continue to read my story._**

**_FlamingArrows : Her relationship with her father will be explained further on in the story. It's part of the mystery._**

**_Thank you all and please Review!:)_**


	3. Chap three-Journey of epic proportions

**THE CLOCK IS STILL TICKING**

Chapter III : Journey of epic proportions.

It's the 18th of June, early in the morning. Here I am, waiting for a yellow bus that is going to sweep us off our feet, my back aching from the load of useless garbage I keep in my mountain - climbing backpack, in the middle of the bus stop with Primrose on my left, her fingers itching to pet Tilly.

''How do you plan on keeping Tilly a secret?'' she looks up at me with those blue eyes, the concern dripping from her voice, then stuffs he face into my bag. As if I didn't have enough luggage on my shoulders, I have to drag my new 'dog purse' for Tilly. Fortunately, she keeps a low profile and doesn't pop her head out of the bag.

''According to a recent study,'' I claim with fake enthusiasm, clapping my hands together,''Never drop any hints and the secret is safe.''

''You won't get away with it,'' she huffs out a sigh, crossing her arms over her chest.

''I always do!'' I frown, furrowing my brows.

''Not always,'' she whispers, her voice reflecting the sadness in her eyes.

Eventually, teenagers and their parents start showing up. First to arrive is a slimy, thin boy with legs that could go on for miles, carrying a small cardboard box in his hands. He combined his shiny, black shoes with socks that go up to his knees. He has short, brown pants with suspenders on and a white t-shirt underneath. One of his suspenders unhooked and his fly undone, showing his 'rebel side.' He has one of those satellite braces. Headgear, that goes around your head and attaches to your braces. His cheeks are sprinkled with little brown freckles, and his dark brown eyes are hidden by round, petite black glasses. But the most noticeable thing about him was his hair. Black, short and gelled with one spike peeking out from the center of his head to the sky. Well, I'm over exaggerating, but it's at least ten centimeters long.

''Alright cupcake, remember what we talked about?'' a petite, red-headed woman asks while stroking his cheeks,''Stay away from places and plants that give you that nasty rash. If you need something, ask the big kids for help, okay?''

''Okay!'' he says with spirit, patting his mother's shoulder.

Next to arrive is one of those snobby, spoiled 'daddy's little girl,' dragging a hot pink suitcase by her side. I can already tell that there isn't any camp worthy clothes in that gigantic suitcase. Her blonde hair is tied into two fishtail braids. She is wearing expensive black boots with spikes, light beige shorts and a shirt that matches her emerald eyes.

''Sugarpie..'' her father trails off,''If you are ever in need of something, you can always call daddy.''

''I know, daddy,'' she rolls her eyes, pecking him on the cheek and then sits on her suitcase.

Soon after, a chubby boy with his broad-shouldered father comes into view with a petite girl trailing alone a few meters behind. The boy has fair skin, messed from the bits of chips he keeps stuffing his face into, ginger hair and light blue eyes. He was quite short, and the huge Lakers shirt that goes down to his knees only made him shorter. Trailing behind them, I finally have a clear view on the girl. She is maybe a year younger than me with beautiful dark hair set into a single braid, almost in the same way mine is. Her dark eyes snap in my direction, and a scowl forms on her face. She seems tomboyish, but her figure and features were far from it.

It was eight o'clock when all the children and a big yellow pile of garbage called a bus, arrives with the sign 'Camp Dashler' written all over it in black paint. Everybody looks up with a horrified expression. With the parents gone a long time ago, we head to the other side of the buss to stuff our luggage in and take our seats.

As we take our seats, the children I recognized from the bus stop were seated next to me. The kid I nicknamed Spike, was the first to break the silence.

''My name is Mose,'' he extends his hand to me, his braces distracting me whenever I want to look at him in the eye. ''Do you want to see my tarantula?'' he motions to the box in his hands, a devious smirk lingering on his lips. That's what's in the box?

''Katniss,'' I blurt out quickly while scooching closer to Prim. ''I thought animals were forbidden?'' I say, making sure nobody notices Tilly.

''Nah, small animals are allowed,'' he replies with a thoughtful expression,''Like toads, guinea pigs...and well spiders.''

''Nice to know,'' I say, concern filling my voice. I hate spiders.

My head snaps behind me. Princess is sitting alone, smiling at her nails while the chubby boy from before is hanging right above her head with a bag of chips. To the seat next to theirs, behind Mose, the brown-headed girl is overseeing the situation. When she feels me looking at her, her head immediately snaps back to look at the window. But even in the window, her reflection has the same sad expression, her mouth eager to communicate with us, but doesn't.

''You're pretty,'' the chubby boy takes another bite on his chips and strokes the girl's hair,''I'm Jake, sup?''

''Ew,'' she shrieks, backing away from him,''Get your chubby little fingers of my hair, you freak.''

''Jeez lady,'' Jake lets out a sigh.

I suppress a giggle by covering my mouth with my hand, while switching places with Primrose. I look out the window, and put my headphones on. It's funny how one minute I can be happy and the other the weight in my chest comes back. The big black hole I can't seem to erase, because I can never be fine for a day. I always think about tomorrow's problems today.

''Children, when you look to your left,'' the bus driver yells through the microphone,''You will see 'Camp Portia Genus'.'' Everyone's head snaps to their left in awe. The big camp lies proudly on the crossroads, next to the lake, filled with lethal, dangerous yet talented rivals. The rich equipment lies right in front of us for our eyes to ogle at in envy. Spears, bows, knives, various types of dangerous sports for the brave and advanced.''And now, to your right past these trees is were we are going, ' Camp Dashler,' '' he exclaims excitedly.

Like he said, past the trees, a little sign with Dashler written on it comes into view. The way the children ogled at 'Camp Dashler' was not from envy or in awe. Far from it. Camp Dashler could never be compared to Portia Genus or the other camps. It was hideous. The sign was barely staying in place as we went passed it, the letter 'D' hanging. Painted in a dark brown colour while looking like we walked into a horse stable instead of a camp. No water slides, bikes, pedal boats. No lake to be exact. No equipment to be seen in sight.

Here is how the hierarchy works here. On the top of the hierarchy we have camp Portia Genus and camp Redbud, the rivaling camps, equal in their teaching methods and lethal participants. Portia Genus being run by Ivan Everdeen, my father and Redbud being run by his fearsome opponent, Gloss. Avala has twelve camp bases, Crow and Dashler being the two lowest rated camps. I was a participant for only a year, enough to get hurt, but I still don't know most of the owners and mentors. I've heard of Dashler before of course, but they've never participated in any combat. The exact reason I decided to come here, even though I didn't expect the situation to be this bad.

''My my, don't we have a fine bunch this summer.''

Our heads snap towards the voice to reveal our mentor and owner of camp Dashler.

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_A/N: Thank you very much for your reviews ! They are mucho mucho appreciated. I would like to mention that I am not abandoning my story ' It all started with a wedding.' It's just that school is starting really soon, so I wanted to start off with 'The clock is still ticking' and another story I'm working on while I still have time._

_Katniss-Will-Drown-Your-Cat: First off, I love your name :D And actually, at the moment I like writing this story more than 'It all started with a wedding' since it's still fresh and I have a lot of ideas that I want to write about. The deal with Katniss being blonde actually fits the story, but I also wanted her to have some change, since she always has her natural hair in other fanfics.  
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_Camilla: Soon enough your confusions will be over, but it will definitely not be what you expected, since the camps are not all child play. Keep that in mind ! Also, I am having fun actually since I have a lot of ideas I want to write about, but unfortunately my smile turns upside down the moment I think about school.  
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_Jasmineusfr: Thank you very much! I'm very flattered *blush* ^_^  
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_Charlotta: Thank you also ! It means alot :)  
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_Thank you Forever. Finnick 111, liljennmartin, Flaming arrows, Bridget-Malkowski, xxPaige23xx, Shoney for your constant support also. I've been meaning to say that for a while since I recognize most of you from my other story.  
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_thepinkmartini: Don't think I forgot about you ! Thank you very much for your kind words and reviews ! Also, I saved you for the end since you mentioned colorful characters, and I'm trying really hard to visualize them for you. So, if any of you would like to listen, I also have a playlist ( but this will actually be a playlist that goes with the story, so it helps you visualize:) )  
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_Playlist: The Civil Wars- Barton Hollow ( for the bus stop scene), The Fray- Be still ( when Katniss looks out the window), Howie Day-Be there( bus ride scene, when they are looking at the camps), Viva Voce-Believer( when they arrive at camp Dashler, and get out of the bus).  
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_In the future I'll put the playlist at the beginning of the chapter, but since I had a lot of things to say I had to put it in the end.  
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_Love,  
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_Natalija:)  
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	4. Chapter four-Play by the rules

A/N:

Questions:

Sundragons9: Cato is in Portia Genus. That information will be revealed soon:) There will be Peeta. At first, my intention was to put him in camp Dashler, but then I wanted something more from him. Not just the same old good Peeta, so there will be a lot going on with him:)

tentaculegirl6: If it helps think of it as the 'Spy kids' universe, not that it has anything to do with it. It just helps picturing it. The story takes place in our century, but with some higher technology and as I mentioned before, the camps are not all child play, but it is considered normal for some :)

Thank you for your reviews, and for the playlist :

temper trap- Fader

Cardigans-my favorite game(Matt leading the way)

Ferreira-Boys(Cato scene)

Enjoy and Review ! :)

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**THE CLOCK IS STILL TICKING**

Chapter IV : Play by the rules

He has bright eyes, so bright that they are remarkable. At first, they were hidden from view beneath his neatly combed, blond eyebrows since his gaze was directed towards the ground. Assuming, the liquor he carries with him in his hand has something to do with it. Soon enough, I got a glimpse of his dangerous, alert eyes. A strikingly bright shade of grey, which resembled my own. Taking slow, cautious steps, he walks in our direction, observing our every move like a predator, taking in his first impression about us. Even though he seems slightly disoriented from the booze, he puts on a thoughtful expression as if deciding on our worth, if we're any value to him. A bit odd, considering he never bothered to show up for any challenges. He stops in his tracks with a frown, his eyes noticing Spike. He snorts, passing him by while glancing at Jake next. His eyebrow rises in amusion, when his gaze drops to his shirt then at the bag of chips Jake clutched onto. He continues to walk, his eyes boring into a pair of dark ones the brown-headed girl possessed.

''You see,'' he mumbles drunkenly, while pointing a finger at her,''I used to have the same expression until I bought myself a drink. You should try it sometimes. Might crack a smile on your face.''

She scowls, clenching her fists as he walks towards the blonde-haired Princess. She shoots him a flirty smile, twirling her hair with her finger.

''See?'' his gaze falls back towards the furious girl.''This is what a smile looks like,'' he says, earning a giggle from Princess.

He slightly bends his back to take a look at Prim's scared expression, then looks up at me with a certain curiosity. I fix him with a death glare, a smirk playing on my lips.

''You've got to work on your charm,'' his eyes bore into mine, as he takes another sip from his bottle,''Cause right now, I'm not too crazy about you, sweetheart.''

''Look around you,'' he says and our heads snap back,''The bunch standing behind you are regular Dashler campers.'' ''B-Ben over there,'' he motions drunkenly towards a boy with light brown hair,''Will be your tour guide, not that you really need one.''

''It's M-Matt, sir,'' the boy corrects him.

''Whatever,'' he rolls his eyes, walking away. Before he opens the door to his cabin, he turns around. ''Oh yeah, I'm obligated to tell you this,'' he remembers,''I forgot to mention there are some...rules.'' Our attention shifts to him as he opens his mouth again.''Rule number one,'' he pauses, taking a seat,''No fighting with other campers if it's not part of the challenge.'' ''Rule number two,'' he sighs, leaning into his chair,''No visiting other camps unless it's required.'' ''The final rule, maybe even the most important rule,'' he glares at us,''Lights go out at midnight, sharp. There are those who are authorized to make sure each and every one of you are in your assigned rooms. They come back within three hours. No kid in bed, no combat. If you think you can lurk around during that period, think again.'' ''Those who decide to act like rebels and don't play by the rules,'' he looks me dead in the eye,''Will be disqualified from further challenges.''

''Then it's a good thing we never show up,'' I mock with a smirk,''Those rules don't apply to us.''

''Listen carefully sweetheart,'' he gets up from his chair, and walks towards me,''You want to participate? Be my guest, show us your endless talents. Here's a tip. You want your enemies to fear you.'' Take unicorn over here for instance,'' he motions towards Spike,'' I can't look at him without shivering.'' Spike grimaces, which makes me slightly smile. ''And you,'' he now motions to the brown-headed girl,''Perfect look. You'll be making absolutely no friends.'' ''I'm afraid he's going to eat me,'' he looks right at Jake, making him drop the chips in his hands in fear.''And finally, we have you,'' he glares at me with a smirk,''You've got that spunk that makes me not want to be your friend.'' ''It's going to be a great turn out this year,'' he sighs, while walking away. Our mouths are hanging open, my body trembling in anger.

''Um, sorry about that,'' the guy named Matt came into my view,''If you would like I can take you to the training ground. It's actually built for all campers, so communication is allowed.''

''Yes, please,'' I reply, looking at the others to confirm my answer.

''Sure,'' they say.

''It's not dangerous, right?'' Princess asks with concern.

''Well...no,'' Matt answers, obviously not sure himself. He motions for us to follow him, so we take a ten minute walk down the road. I know exactly where we are. In front of the most beautiful, oval roofed building made from glass windows. All the combats and challenges are held here. It also serves as a training ground for those who aren't as lucky to have such rich equipment. Oh, but do not be fooled. Portia Genus makes sure to make an appearance, an unforgettable one. They love to show off their skills for us to see and the judges, seated in a huge area, behind a glass window. They are often seen drinking, eating and of course ogling at the fresh competition. Impress them and you're in the game. Matt opens the door for us, and as we step inside the girls gasp. The arrogant, blond boy from the other day grasps my attention. Sweat dripping down his half naked body. His muscles tensing as he flashes his sword at the dummy, taking it's head off. Fearsome competitor, no doubt about it. He wipes the sweat off of his face with his towel and his eyes lock with mine. A dangerous smirk finds it's way on his face, making me shiver. He shoots me a wink, slicing the dummy with his sword, his eyes never leaving mine. I scoff and shift my gaze somewhere else, surprising him.

''He is so...'' Princess trails off, her eyes popping out. I laugh at her and continue walking, my gaze following the boy. A playful smirk lingers on his lips as he swings his sword , knowing he grasped my attention, along with everyone else's.

''Katniss,'' I turn around as slowly as possible, for I do not want to see the owner of the voice that called out my name.


	5. Chapter five-We have company

_*Playlist:Ross Copperman-Holding on and letting go (Ivan and Katniss scene)_  
Hurts-Devotion ft Kylie ( encounter with Zara)

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**THE CLOCK IS STILL TICKING**

Chapter V : We have company.

''Katniss.''

I turn around slowly, delaying the conversation that was bound to happen sooner or later. I come face to face with somebody I was trying really hard to avoid. In a place like this, I was hoping for the impossible.

''Dad,'' I let out a breath, then quickly compose myself,''What a coincidence it is to run into you here. Checking out the fresh competition? Who shall you crush first?''

''Please, contain your happiness of seeing me,'' he lets out a throaty chuckle. For an instant I saw pain flash in his eyes. I thought I was only imagining things, so I shrug the thought away.

''I'm still trying,'' I smirk, which makes him roll his eyes.

''I see you changed your hair,'' his eyes travel around, raising his hands to touch one strand of hair that was blocking my view, making me back away in disgust. ''I think your natural colour suits you best.'' I scoff, crossing my hands over my chest. And let everyone know my identity? Since the eight of August, I'm known as Katniss Steele. I have blonde hair and grey eyes, therefore resembling my beautiful mother, for I do not want to be remembered as the dark headed girl who entered the final challenge the summer of two thousand and eleven.

''As much as I would love to stay and chat, it seems as if my fellow campers are ready to leave,'' I say motioning behind him, towards the small group. His eyes widen in confusion, his lip trembling in anger. A smile lingers on my lips. I know exactly what he's thinking. The Dashler's. Camp twelve. Why on Earth would I join such a despicable camp, when I am more than welcomed to join the almighty Portia Genus.

''I thought you agreed with your mother on joining me this year?'' he asks, anger evident in his voice. His expression makes me laugh. Does he ever think twice on what I want? Is he so blinded by winning that he chooses to set my wishes aside? There were moments when I thought he was different, but reality kicked in.

''The agreement was for me to come to Avala, but nothing was said about which camp should I choose. The choice was entirely up to me,'' I smile, knowing this situation irritates him badly,''It bugs you, doesn't it? Not to have control over everything I do? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a way. You always do.''

''Katniss..'' he calls out, as I walk away. He doesn't come after me, and for that I'm glad. Quitting is not his job, but at least for once he knows when to quit. I just wish he knew how to do that sooner.

''We should get going,'' Matt says, motioning the group to follow him,''There are a lot of things we should get through before the opening night.''

''The opening night?'' Jake asks, confused. Of course they don't know. They came out here for a trip of their lifetime. Go out into the wild, maybe learn a couple of things and brag about it later on to their friends. Considering which camp they've picked to go to, I doubt we'll look forward to any challenges. I wonder if they knew that already? Probably not. Matt was about to answer him before a deep, masculine voice interrupted him. His voice traveled through the air, intended for us to hear. My head snapped behind me, my eyes landing on a particular handsome boy's face in annoyance.

''Well well well, who do we have here?'' a dark headed girl asked the group beside her with a chuckle. Her brown eyes looking at us mockingly. ''If it isn't camp Loserville and their president.'' Matt lowers his head in embarrassment, obviously wanting to get this over with. Princess gapes at her, while Jake pats her shoulder as if to comfort her bruised ego.

''Is that the best you can come up with?'' I say taking my stand. The arrogant boy's eyes snap in my way in amusement, a playful smirk on his lips. The girl looks me up in disgust, her hands crossed over her chest.

''Are you challenging me, twelve?'' she giggles, her eyes looking up to the blond boy, as if to see his reaction. I roll my eyes. Another one in his line of fan girls I presume.

''Honey, between you and me there is no challenge,'' I smirk, the blond boy raising his eyebrow at my response.

''Then I'm sure you'll have no trouble of proving that at the opening night today?'' his deep voice provokes me. I failed miserably at keeping a low profile. Before I blow it completely, I compose myself.

''I don't need to prove myself to the likes of you,'' I say with venom in my voice.

''Just as I thought,'' he lets out a chuckle,''Full of talk, and no action.'' ''Zara, let's go,'' he motions her to follow his lead, and she does.''We'll see the expression on these losers faces today anyway,'' he smirks, his eyes landing on mine for a second, as he walks out of my view.

_We'll see about that._

* * *

_Hey guys ! Thank you for the reviews, and I'm well aware this chapter is short, but I plan to make it up to you. I had to stop here, so that in the next chapter I can write about the opening night! I hope you enjoyed and please REVIEW!:)_

_*Also, Zara is the tribute girl from District 4, so that it helps you picture her.  
_

_-Natalija xx  
_


	6. Chapter six-The opening night

_A/N:Hello guys! I'm sorry for not updating in a while. School is the problem. Tomorrow I'm going on an outing with my school for five days so when I come back I'll be able to update again. If I don't make it today, I'll update It all started with a wedding then for those of you who were wondering. I'm really sorry I haven't updated that story in a while, but like I said I had no time, but I'll try really hard to finish that story already for you guys so be patient !:) The songs are in the brackets so you don't have to scroll up every time. I hope you enjoy and review !:)_

_-Natalija  
_

**THE CLOCK IS STILL TICKING**

Chapter VI:The opening night part I

(Rosi Golan-Can't go back)

Pink. Any of the colors between bluish red and red. The colour of love, aside from red. I was never really fond of it. Maybe it's because I never wanted to be seen as one of the drama queens who rule our hallways. The clique you wish you were in. To think of how much a colour defines who you are. There's always that one girl that stands out from the rest, the girl all boys wish they were with. In a girl's case, the sound of her name makes you spill tears all over the pillow, and as you fall asleep you'll curse her name, but at the end of the day, in your dreams, you wish you were her. Me? I dream of being normal.

Two years ago, at the age of fourteen I entered the hallways as every other person. At the end of the day, I walked out of those doors as a member of the clique. To this day, I don't wear pink, I don't make my hair and makeup everyday and dress according to the latest fashion, even though everyone praises my fashion sense. Tonight, my name might be the name a fifteen year old girl murmurs in her sleep or another sixteen year old girl's reason to cry. I might be in some seventeen year old boy's dreams. Maybe even Gale's. My handsome grey eyed boyfriend. It's only natural I date the most popular guy in school. It's the way it goes, right? I have the thing all girl's want. Popularity and a handsome boyfriend. I don't want any of it. It's just tha - oh, right. She asked me a question. I must've made them wait a long time.

''Goodness. What manners!'' she yells out again in her distinct accent, while crunching her light pink dress, the colour matching her neatly combed, vibrant locks. ''She's in an entirely different world.''

''Sorry,'' I mumble, snapping out of my thoughts. ''Katniss Steele,'' I say, her gaze landing on me once again,'' My name is Katniss Steele.''

''Great! Now that we've finally learned our last member's name we can move on to the basics,'' she says in an annoyed tone. ''Cinna,'' she motions to the man beside her.

A man in his early thirty's steps forward with a slight smile. His runs his hand through his short brown hair, as his green eyes flicker in the sun, his golden eyeliner bringing them out even more. He was wearing an elegant black suit he paired up with matching shoes. Cinna has this calm aura around him, taking away all my problems as I listen to him. His voice is smooth and he is apparently very well informed about the topic he's talking about. Unlike our mentor. I wonder how he ended up here, in Dashler. He must've been new, and well you have to start off somewhere. Effie Trinket, the woman annoyed by me seems fairly young also. It's obvious they weren't working here for a long time. ''For those of you who are newcomers, you are probably wondering what we do,'' he starts off, folding his hands over his chest,''My name is Cinna and I'm here to make sure you all make an impression. You'll be surprised to know how much what you wear can make a difference.'' ''My wife Portia,'' he motions towards a woman with slightly curled blonde hair. Her skin is a lighter shade of dark, and she was two heads taller than me considering she was in really tall, black heels.''And I,'' he continues,''Will do everything in our power to help you make a good reputation. But, we cannot decide for you if you should proceed to any challenges. The choice to participate is entirely up to you.''

Well, there's goes our reputation.

* * *

(Arctic Monkeys-Brick by brick)

The opening night. Reflectors everywhere. The excitement starts tonight. We are presented in the training center that is completely transformed for the night in front of the judges and the people of Avala. There are no official challenges for today, but you could say the competition between the participants starts tonight.

''Jake I can here you breathing from over here,'' Princess shrieks. Later on I found out her name is Glimmer. I laughed quite a bit.

''What do you expect me to do about it?'' Jake asks defensively.

''Stop breathing if you have to,'' she glares at him angrily. I giggle at the scene. Matt's sitting on the bench in our 'Camp corner,' his knees shaking nervously. Spike seems to be looking under the bench for his pet, which makes me uneasy.

''Watch it freak!'' I hear a voice yell.

I turn my head around only to spot Zara, the girl from this morning standing in front of the brown-headed girl from my camp, Clove. A grin finds it's way onto her face as the rest of her group catches up to her.

''Guys looks like twelve doesn't know where she's going,'' she smirks, tossing her hair to her side. The blond boy from before also graces us with his appearence.

''Bite me!'' Clove glares at her, which takes me by surprise. I'm loving this girl.

''Ooooh! Scary,'' Zara rolls her eyes,'' Cato, lets not waste time here.''

The boy, Cato stares at me intensely with a smirk. ''Enjoy the show,'' he says, shooting me a wink, while walking away. Matt and the other campers let out a sigh, a sigh of defeat. I can see it in his eyes. He is tired. He is tired with the teasing, he is tired of wanting to surrender, of being afraid to stand up for himself. The one plan I had in my mind crumbled right in front of me. I take Matt by his collar, his eyes popping wide open in fear. ''Matt what do you know about Zara?'' I yell.

''W-Well, um she is good with knives,'' he states, and his eyes look right into mine,''But her real talent is dancing.''

''And she can sing pretty damn good,'' another camper adds.

''So, what you mean to say,'' I start, backing away from him,''She's chosen to make an impression today?The only challenge today is the dancing competition, right?''

''Um, yeah,'' he looks at me strangely,''How did you know that? Either way, it doesn't matter. They call us, we never show up.''

''Aren't you tired?'' I choke out while searching for the answer on their faces,''Aren't you tired of being called weak? Do you care at all?''

''There is nothing we can do about it!'' he snaps back.

''There is everything!'' I shriek, making him back away in surprise. By now I've got everyone's attention. Now, I can see it. The one thing they were always in need of. Hope. My eyes travel to Glimmer's who looks at me as if I'm crazy.''And I've got just the right plan,'' I shoot her a smirk, confusing her even more. Matt cracks a smile and for the first time it's sincere.


	7. Chapter seven-Behind these eyes

**THE CLOCK IS STILL TICKING**

Chapter VII:Behind these eyes.

Adrenaline. A hormone produced during exciting or high stress situations. I don't know whether I'm stressed out or just excited, but I can feel it pumping through my veins. Maybe I've underestimated the situation and Zara's skills, but there is no backing away now. I can't bare to look at their lifeless faces anymore. They needed a leap of faith, and I'm handing it out to them. Haymitch is the one who needs it the most but it'll take me more time convincing him. I've heard a few rumors about him back when I was a part of my dad's camp. He used to be a winner and the person you would love to mentor you. After a while, his only companion turned out to be a bottle of vodka and he has never been the same since.

Right now our aim is to let the few people behind that glass window know we're here to win and our target, Camp Portia.

''You're crazy. What makes you think for a second I'll agree to this?'' Glimmer shrieks, making me dizzy from all the noise.

This is the deal. The only meaning of the opening ceremonies is presenting your own camp in it's best light. Having that in mind, they came up with an idea which doesn't include fighting since it's prohibited on the first night. A way to hypnotize our parents into thinking it's a fun and enjoyable way to start out a competition when the whole point is to get the judges by your side. Conclusion, the competition starts in fifteen minutes. What we got to do? There are twelve camps in total. All having two representatives for this part. In front of you a dance instructor will be showing a few steps for five minutes, which you'll have to follow in order to beat the other. The rest of the song, you're on your own. Miss a step, you're out. Of course the representatives are split into two groups. Naive and fun, right? Watch out for the girl with the scissors.

''Actually, what makes you think she can dance at all?'' Jake asks, taking another bite of his sandwich. Glimmer hits him as if offended, but still looks at me curiously.

''You may seem ditzy,'' I start off, making her furious with me,''But I know better than that.'' ''I could see it in your eyes miles away,'' I say, making everyone confused,''You roll your eyes every time somebody mentions Zara's name. Not in the way we do. You think she doesn't the deserve the title.''

''I don't know what you're talking about,'' Glimmer huffs and crosses her hands over her chest.

''Don't play dumb with me,'' I yell out,''I'm sure a princess like you never wants to be considered as a scum. Show us and show Zara what you're made off.''

She isn't giving me an answer, but I can see she's considering it. Come on Princess. You know you want to. I look at the countdown. There is only five more minutes left. We have to move fast. I look back at Glimmer's eyes. She's ready.

''Cinna, can you get them ready in less than...'' I look at the huge clock,''Four minutes.''

''I can work wonders,'' he shoots me a toothy smile, grabbing Portia by her hand.

''Wait! Who's our second representative?'' Spike asks confused, making everyone's head turn around,'' I thought you were.''

''I got it covered,'' I smirk,'' I can't blow my cover. I'll have to keep my talents as a surprise for now.''

* * *

(Christina Aguilera-Your body)

Glimmer POV:

I glance at the clock. It has already started and I'm rushing to see the first group dance. Of course, like every year our representative doesn't show up. That doesn't stir any shock in the crowd. I hope everything is going according to plan. How did she see through me? In the future, I'll have to keep my reaction on the down low. I clutch on to my black, silky robe as I run towards our camp corner. Unfortunately, I just had to bump into a wall.

''Watch where you're going midget,'' the wall mocks. That's when I see I actually bumped into a tall, muscular boy around my age. His handsome, but only Cato can get away after offending me.

''I'm not a midget,'' I retort back, while raising my hand to slap him, but he catches it in mid air with a grin. By now, he's only centimeters away from my face. I'm blushing like mad but I know he can't see it. After all I'm wearing a mask.

''That's exactly what a midget would say, dwarf,'' he smirks, making me furious,'' What camp are you?''

''None of your business,'' I glare into his green eyes.

''Considering you're not with your camp, you must be from Loserville,'' he grins, noticing me clench my fists,''Why the mask? Hiding the ugliness? Don't worry, nobody even bothers to look at you scum.''

Ugliness? I have never been told I'm ugly. Quite the opposite. Calm down Glimmer. You can't blow your cover now.

''Is it masquerade day? I guess I didn't get the invitation,'' he lets out a chuckle.

''Why would you?'' I spit out,'' You're a piece of crap.''

''Tough words coming from you,'' he grunts, pushing me out of his way.

My mouth is hanging open. That egocentric, narcissistic...Ah! I clutch on to my robe even tighter as I walk towards my camp.

* * *

''And for our last camp, Camp Dashler,'' a voice booms, as a few coughs could be heard in the backround.''Well, it seems as if in ten years we finally have a representative.'' There it is. The shock. I see Cato raise his eyebrow as he looks my way. He thinks I'm the contestant. I shoot him a grin, as I push Glimmer forward. Zara won in the first group, but we still have a chance in this one. ''Please welcome, Glimmer Chambers.'' A few claps could be heard, until a whole crowd stood up to cheer from excitement. The people of Avala are definitely pumped up by the series of events in front of them. A tall boy from another camp makes his way to Cato as he whispers into his ear with a smirk. Cato lets out a chuckle as he puts his arms around Zara with a grin.

''Glimmer, before you go, a piece of advice,'' I say, grabbing her by her shoulders,''Watch out for sneaky Sally, the representative of camp Portia. She's been known to give a quite few costume accidents while dancing.''

I can't see her face, but she gives me a slight nod as if she understood. I let go of her as she makes her way to her spot next to the other contestants. The were all in their costumes that barely left any imagination. I look at Cinna who returns my stare with a smile, as if reassuring me everything's going to be alright.

''Now, I'm going to start of with a few simple steps,'' the instructor yells out,'' Music please.''

* * *

(Watch Me Shine - Joanna Pacitti)

Cato is laughing along with the other's and the boy I soon figured out was from Camp Redbud as Glimmer is just standing there. My dad gives me a strange look as I furiously look away.

''Are you sure she knows how to dance?'' Matt mumbles beside me.

I don't know. I was sure of it.


	8. Chapter eight-Perceptive eye

A/N:Hello my dearest readers ! I would love if each of you review so I would know if I should even continue this story, so I don't spend precious time writing something no one's interested in. Anyway, my thanks goes to all of you who support my stories, that means a lot:'). Enjoy !

* * *

**THE CLOCK IS STILL TICKING**

* * *

**Chap. VIII**

**''Perceptive eye''**

Till now, I always thought I had '' a perceptive observation.'' I'm feeling apprehensive for one's life. That life belongs to Glimmer Chambers. I'm weighing the options of her soul being detached from her material body. Her body seems limp and spiritless, lacking the strength and firmness she had a moment ago. Eyes are boring into the back of my skull, begging for my reassurance, while my ear is concentrated on a voice produced by a a filthy mouth, laughing at my face, spitting on my confidence, shrinking it. Cato was it? Lord, how I would love to cut up his sculptured face in half so I could wipe that smirk off his face as he begs me for mercy. I wonder if there was ever fear present behind his facade instead of that murderous glint his eyes hold. He shoots me a cheeky wink, pointing towards Sally, their representative in satisfaction, humiliating me more. My eyes travel from Sally to Glimmer who has her head slightly lowered, her gaze presumably concentrated on the instructor's feet. I'd give a million bucks to know what's going through her mind right now. Is she thinking at all or is her brain paralyzed also? Princess, prove these cowards wrong including this Katniss in front of you. Bring back the faith I had in you.

''Tick tock, times up!'' a deep, loud male voice booms through the microphone. A large voice coming from a petite form, belonging to none other than Claudius Templesmith, the announcer. Always has witty, wise remarks and is seen most of the time with his partner, the legendary Ceaser Flickerman who won't be making an appearence due to unknown reasons. A smile creeps onto my lips as I consider the possibility of him dying his hair in an absurd colour, which means he isn't capable of attending the opening ceremony.''The same rules apply,'' he starts, continuing after a dramatic pause,''You all get a certain amount of warnings. There are eyes watching your every step all around you, so don't think you can get away with it. Three strikes and you face elimination. The person, or should I say lady with the lowest amount of warnings will be the victor of round two.'' ''You may proceed,'' he chuckles, a bit of mystery hanging in his voice,''And good luck!''

My eyes avert to Sally, who always seemed to find new ways to annoy me a few years ago. When I was younger, she was actually our next door neighbour. As much as it irritated me, I had to play nice with her then since her parents would unfortunately come over too often, on a cup of coffee or even dinner. I remember there where nights where I would literally be stuck with her till early in the morning, until her parents finally leave. Usually, they let her sleep over in my room, Prim having an excuse to not hang out with her, being younger and all. I used to wonder how many flies entered her mouth, considering she never shut up. Beaten up from a long day of training, longing for piece and quiet, I would run to my bed eagerly to close my eyelids, hoping for a nice nap. My wish was ridiculous, considering I had a radio station lying beside me. Once Sally's batteries would run out, I'd pull on my covers tightly, finally being able to sleep. Of course, ten minutes after my mother would walk in to wake us up, preparing us for another 'blessed day.'

Her orange hair stood out from the crowd in the painfully bright light as her brown eyes made contact with mine. Her lips curved into an irritating grin, making me more furious by the second. As always, she had a pair of scissors hanging underneath her yellow coloured costume, prepared to snap some fabric. Are they so dumb to believe that almost every year someone has a costume accident? No, I guess they just love the drama of it. These despicable excuses for human beings live on it, specially the judges. They are all partners in this crime, in these 'games' we play.

''Looks like your brave girl choked,'' Zara whispers into my ear, a hint of amusement in her voice while Cato and the guy from Redbud follow her close by,''And I was so eagerly anticipating some competition. Tsk, tsk. Guess Cato was right, as he always is. You really do just have a filthy mouth with no action behind it. So disappointing!''

''Zara,'' I smirk, not glancing her way,''Have I ever mentioned you're becoming a thorn in my ass?'' ''Why don't you shut your pie hole,'' I say, finally averting my gaze off of Sally to shoot her a dirty look,''And enjoy the show, m'kay?''

She drops her arms to her sides and she keeps her mouth slightly open. I notice the guy from one is ignoring our bicker over a meaningless matter, instead he has his gaze fixated on Glimmer with a superior smile forming on his lips.

''Do I amuse you, pretty boy?'' I ask, my eyes landing on Cato with a fake smile plastered onto my face. His muscles tense, his biceps popping right in front of my face once he crosses his arms over his chest. He takes a few steps closer to me, in front of Zara, amusement clearly overflowing his features. I get the feeling my body's frozen for a couple of seconds once his mouth reaches my right ear, brushing it lightly.

''Very,'' he whispers huskily into my ear. My traitorous body betrays me as it reacts to his deep, masculine voice. A burning sensation creeps through my skin. For a moment I'm afraid something is crawling up and down my back, but I know it's the nerves sending shivers down my spine. I hate my nerves for reacting to one word in such way, for sending me crossed signals. It's hard for me to pin down what's making me so attracted to this monstrous boy, beside his looks. I've seen a lot of handsome boys in my lifetime, including Gale. What's so special about this one? My mouth opens to form another comeback, but my words are left hanging in my throat as I am cut off by the instructor's large voice.

* * *

***Tiziano Ferro-Perdono* **

(the music that is playing)

* * *

''Marvel, what are you ogl-'' Zara stops talking, eyes wide open once she see her, in the direction his eyes landed on.

His gaze is glued to her, standing in her best light, ballet shoes on her feet as gold as her locks with straps ending above her ankle. She let her robe gently slide of her bare shoulders onto the cold floor beside her. A smile lingers on my lips as I watch her raise her head proudly, showing off Cinna's magnificent design. The shimmery gold venetian mask was still hiding her identity, but her body was showing her extravagant beauty. A black sequin dress, reminding me of the night sky, hugging her form, flowing to the side from the bow beneath her chest.

~I watched from the sides as they looked at her in awe, like she was above them for the first time, much to their dismay. Anger overflooded their confident, proud features showing a new side to them, weakness. Vulnerability. Every eye was on her, staring at her body which gracefully twisted and turned, reacting to every beat the music produced, with a sensational passion. They followed her every move as she brings her hands upwards with a strong, confident stance. The stage was hers, she controlled the audience. She held their attention in the palm of her hands. Above all of them, he was mesmerized with her. He who mocked her, laughed at her, crushing her dignity and her pride.

~I watched from the sides when their jaws dropped when the music stopped, the final notes hanging onto her legs as she strides towards them, towards him. Needless to say who won this act. It was her turn to mock him as a victor, but instead a flowing electricity run through their organism.

''Still hiding behind that mask, ugly?'' he asks, a grin plastered onto his face, still picking a fight with her, even though he knew very well how strikingly beautiful she was. She drops her mask in front of him with a light thud, a satisfying look evident on her face.

The eleventh of July was the day Dashler slowly took a huge step in taking what was once theirs. Respect.


	9. Chapter nine-Lost in an alienated world

**The Clock is still ticking**

** Chap. IX : Lost in an alienated world.**

* * *

Sunday afternoon - 7 o'clock in the morning

* * *

*****(Sky Ferreira - Sad Dream)*****

Haymitch was very much enjoying his sleep, until he was woken up by a commotion outside his personal cabin. A ruckus we were guilty for. Last night went better than I expected. We got what we wanted, the judge's showed us their appreciation. We are in the game. For now, that is. After an agreement between each other, we decided to get on our feet early in the morning and bring the camp into shape, or at least fix it up to some extent to make it look decent.  
Deciding on our main camp colour, emarald green, Spike went out along with our bus driver to the nearby shop for needed equipment. Considering he got back after an hour of being gone, the store must've been located at a larger distance than we thought it would be. I just hope the colour doesn't make us look like we're habitants in Elf city.

"What in the name of..-" I hear Haymitch mumble angrily, while walking down the stairs in front of his cabin. It was kind of funny to see him in this edition, cluthing on to his red robe furiously with one hand while the other was rubbing his temple in circular motions, probably trying to shrink his migraine. "What time is it? Why the hell are you all up ruining the camp? It's only been a day."

"Cheer up! It was already ruined." I yell walking towards him, clutching onto two cups of coffee. "Here," I hand one over to him," Oh, and it's 7 o'clock in the morning."

"7 o'clo- ... in the morni-..." he mumbles some words, the realization finally hitting in once he starts yelling,"Are you out of your minds?"

"I can explain," I say calmly, the other's still working hard on their assigned jobs, but Haymitch is not taking it lightly.

"You can explain?" he turns to me, squishing the cup in his hands, coffee pouring over his hand and the floor, "Are you the one who's responsible for this?"

"Not quite," I say, my voice not as calm as before,"It was a group thing. We are just decorating the place. I don't know if you heard but we w-"

"Yes, I am very well informed of your little one night victory," he spats, getting in my face with a furious expression. "Now what, sweetheart?" he mocks, coming closer,"You think a worthless dancing competition can raise you to your vivtory? Don't make me laugh. You don't know what you're in for."

"Oh, but I do," I challenge him further,"It might be worthless, but at least we're noticed."

"At leat you're noticed, huh," he laughs,"Sweetheart, don't be so sure of yourself. You've only been here for a day, you haven't seen nothin' yet. Because of your little rebelous move last night, you're going to have to prove yourself again and again, since, like you said, you're noticed. Are you up for that?"

"I'd rather be a victor for a day, than a loser my whole life," I reply, my anger kicking in. I get where he's coming from, but as our mentor, he should support us. He should see that the kid's this year are different.

"Then please, continue," he says with a hint of amusement evident in his voice. He walks away from me and goes to the main cabin of the camp, probably to replace the cup of coffee with a bottle of vodka.

"Katniss, the designs for the flag are done," Jake runs down towards me, clutching onto the designs,"Here, look!"

"Jake," I start, while staring at his work in disbelief," These are really good." He shoots me a satisfied grin as his hands grab onto the papers. He snatches them from my hands and runs off .

* * *

*****(Lana Del Ray-Young and Beautiful)*****

"Why don't you go get some wood since you're doing nothing, Glimmer," I imitate Katniss furiously, while stumbling on some rocks in the woods,"Go get some wood? Who does she think she is? Do I look like a woodcutter? " I ramble on for a few minutes, hitting every leaf that smacks me in the face, before I realize I'm not walking on the same path I was a minute ago. Perfect. First they wake me up from my much needed rest, then Mose runs my brand new white shorts down with green paint. Now? As the fabulous finale, I'll die in the woods. I circle my surroundings as my hands and knees start to tremble. I try to calm myself by sitting down on a large rock, trying to make myself remember how I got here. Soon enough, I'm feeling nauseous, which causes me to stand up and hold onto a nearby tree. How long before they realize I'm lost? Tough luck. They'll assume I'm avoiding my job and - ..A stream? I so hope my hearing is well .  
I stumble my way in the direction I heard the sound of water coming from, but I find myself on the edge of crying, once the birds start chirpping, distracting me. I fall down on my knees after I tripped on a rock, but I don't even care as I cry out in relief once I'm looking right at the stream. I crawl towards it, pouring the water on myself to clean off the dirt. I'm about to wash my face when a spear flies through the air and lands right next to me. I'm shivering and I barely make myself stand up.

"Marvel, forget it! " I hear a boy yell," We'll just get another one."

"No, we're not wasting any weapons," I hear another voice, but on a far more closer distance. The boy doesn't wait for a reply as I see him running down the woods on the other side of the stream. I can't quite catch his face, since my eyesight is foggy. The screams are stuck in my throat and I'm not able to run for my life. Life? Is this how I die? I pictured it a couple of times, but this is not how I imagined it to look like. Who is this person running towards me with a confused expression? Is he my destined killer? Why is he confused? It must be the paint, if he can see it. I ask myself a number of questions as my mind falls asleep. In a matter of time, I don't feel anything and the only thing I see is white. Is this how you feel once you die?

* * *

*****(The Silent Comedy- God Neon)*****

"And you're sure she is here? " I ask, anger dripping from my lips. Everdeen. If the rumors are true, she'll ruin the hierarchy, considering she's not in my camp or Redbud.

"No," Gloss replies, standing up from his seat. He appears calm, but I know he'd rather dive his knuckles into the wall. "But my sources never lie," he continues, the anger visible in every word he says.

"Can't you just tell who she is?" I raise my voice at his stupidity. I haven't worked this hard for it to be blown up by some weakling. " Surely I can ask Ivan Everdeen t-"

"And he will tell you nothing, unless you find out by yourself," he yells, cutting me in the middle of the sentence," She's seventeen years old now Cato. She can be practically deformed from all the therapy for all I know, so no, I can't just tell you who she is. But if she reveals her skills, I'll be able to tell. No one shoots from a bow the same way as Katniss Everdeen."

"So what is my next task?" I ask, cracking my knuckles, staring him down with a special kind of hate.

"Continue doing dirty work for me, like always," he chuckles, sitting himself down,"In the meantime, take more notice in brown headed girls. That shouldn't be a problem for you."

"Of course not," I smirk, while closing the door on my way out.

* * *

**_A/N: Yeah I know, it's been a couple of months. I'm a disappointment. I'm really sorry for not updating but I had my reasons, school being the first priority. Since I'm on my break, I'll be able to update a lot frequently. I sense half of you probably forgot about this story, considering how long I didn't update :D but yeah fav and review, since that's what motivates my lazy ass to keep going ! _**

**_Love,_**

**_Natalija :)_**


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